Yesterday’s game at Syracuse Soccer Stadium reminded you more of a football game than a soccer match. Not only was it on a Sunday, but many of the Orangemen took hits that would make an NFL running back cringe.

The Syracuse soccer team overcame the attack and knocked off No. 22 Connecticut 2-1 in a match full of slide-tackles, freaky goals and take-downs.

Syracuse players and coaches refused to comment to The Daily Orange.

‘We don’t play physical,’ UConn head coach Ray Reid said. ‘We play soccer.’

Most SU fans, though, would disagree with Reid after what happened Sunday afternoon.

The trouble started in the first half when Connecticut forward Easton Wilson and SU freshman Richard Asante fought for control of a loose ball. It looked as if Asante would make the play, but Wilson held him back, grabbing Asante’s jersey and refusing to let go. No foul was called on Wilson.

A scary moment came for the Orangemen with less than five minutes left in the first half when Syracuse senior Kirk Johnson went down after a slide tackle from Connecticut midfielder Stephen Arias. Johnson seemed to be nursing his ankle after the play, but was able to get up shortly after Arias received a yellow card.

In the second half, much of the same play came from the Huskies. SU senior defender Chris Fehrle was taken down by UConn’s William Osorio. While Fehrle lay on the ground, the official simply exchanged a few casual word with Osorio rather than give him a yellow card.

‘Get No. 12 (Osorio) out of the game!’ SU fans yelled from the bleachers.

Many of the irate SU fans felt Osorio deserved a red card. He was assessed with a foul, and Syracuse received a free kick.

Even Johnson’s 30th career goal – which placed him No. 6 on SU’s all-time goal’s list – came on a physical play that left a pile of players eating grass and UConn freshman Moshe Shalchon flying head first over Johnson. Luckily for the Orangemen, the ball didn’t get caught in the pileup and rolled into the net.

The win Sunday was SU’s first victory in the Big East this season. It moves Syracuse into 12th place in the conference. Only eight teams make the Big East tournament, which Syracuse is mathematically eliminated from reaching.

Even though it looked like Johnson and Fehrle might have been hurt during the rough play yesterday, none of the players were forced to leave the game as a result.

‘At the end of the day, we weren’t good enough,’ Reid said. ‘It was nothing about being physical.’

Published on October 26, 2003 at 12:00 pm